Open Books
by Unlucky-charm
Summary: Draco has always been an open book and Harry wants to know what he's hiding. When Draco confides in Hermione, can she help him or was there nothing wrong with him in the first place? DracoxHarry. M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

Open Books

Chapter 1

By the Unlucky-charm

"Oh! Narcissa answered my letter!" Molly Weasley happily said, once the unfamiliar owl had dropped the letter in her hands and left.

This sudden casual exclamation from the mother of seven did not go unnoticed from the breakfast table, causing most of its members to spit out their drinks, spraying the person in front of them.

"Ew Ron!" Ginny squealed as a mist of orange juice landed on her face.

"She WROTE to you?" George asked in a reproachful tone.

"Well, she was nice enough to reply. This is her third letter actually." Molly continued as if there was nothing unusual about her having a correspondence with Narcissa Malfoy.

"You WRITE to her?" Ron stepped in.

"She started it." His mother answered defensively.

"Um, Mrs. Weasley..." Harry began calmly, trying to ease the tension in this situation, which he hoped was nothing but a misunderstanding. Unfortunately, the odds were not in his favour. "Why exactly did Mrs. Malfoy write to you?"

"J-Just like that." She stuttered, turning away from all of them, in fear of her lie being detected.

"With all due respect ma'am, I doubt Mrs. Malfoy would write for you just for fun." Hermione said.

"And since when is Mrs. Malfoy 'Narcissa'?" Ginny added teasingly, enjoying and also taking advantage of her mother's flustered state.

"What is this? Some kind of muggle police interrogation!" Molly said, her hands on her hips and a blush on her cheeks.

"Molly calm down. The children have every right to know. And if you refuse to tell them..." His voice wavered. "You can at least tell ME?" His demand sounded more like a question.

Exasperated, Molly sighed, throwing aside her rag. She sat at an empty chair and began her narrative of why, of all people, did Mrs. Malfoy bother write to her.

"Her first letter was an apology, a very sincere one at that, in behalf of all her family for having cause so much trouble." She paused looking hesitant. "During the war that is."

"Well that's... nice?" Harry said, not sure if the circumstances were right or if the adjective was a bit too forgiving. The war was over though right? So why keep grudges?

'It is very kind of her." Hermione said. "And Harry, I think you should thank her, I mean you DO owe her your life."

Before Harry could even agree, Ron slammed his hand flat onto the table.

"Bloody hell Hermione, should he take them a gift basket too? He doesn't owe that family anything! He's the Saviour of our world, after all. I think he had done enough."

"He should just say thank you, no one said anything about a gift OR about the whole family. Narcissa Malfoy seems to be a decent enough person. Compared to the other Malfoys, she seems to be a little less..." Ginny began to think for a word, but her brother cut her thoughts short.

"Cruel? Evil? A complete git?"

"I was going to say thoughtless."

"Either way, I am going to thank her." Harry said and got up.

"Well now you can." Molly said uneasily and then mumbled something under her breath as she turned back to the stove.

"What was that?" George asked.

"I um..." She mumbled something inaudible again.

"Mum, we can't hear you." Ginny said impatiently.

"Well...I might have...invited them to dinner..." She said, avoiding the widening eyes in the room.

"What?" Merlin knows how many of them yelled.

"And she seems to be quite thrilled." Harry said, now having made his way to the corner of the room, reading the letter that was tossed aside earlier. "She writes to you like an old friend." He added, amusement in his tone.

"Bloody hell mum, just because the war is over, you're going around befriending Death Eaters?"

"Back off Ron." George said before his little brother could go any further. "If mum said she's nice, then there must be a reason. So what if we're having ONE Malfoy over? She's apologetic AND Harry owes her some thanks...apparently." He said, somewhat awkwardly. He was obviously hiding how the situation to come was making him a little uneasy as well.

At his older son's words, Molly flinched and took a quick step back.

"What is it Molly?" Her husband asked.

"Draco and Lucius...might be joining her." She said, closing her eyes tightly as is awaiting a strong blow to come and hit her straight in the face.

This time it was Ron who stood up abruptly.

"What?" He hissed. "Draco and Lucius." He put very strong emphasis on both names. "Are they your friends too?"

"Well what else am I supposed to call them, Ronald?" She said, finally standing her own ground.

"You're not! That's the point. You're not supposed to be calling them anything! But NOW, they're coming over to dinner. Marvellous!" He slapped his hands together, and smiled sarcastically.

"Ron!" Hermione stood up, followed by Ginny."The war is over, we don't need you starting a new one."

"If you want, you can sit in your room, your presence is NOT required." His sister spat.

"Nope sorry. It actually is needed." Harry said casually, still in his damn corner with the letter. "Draco insists on speaking to all of us...especially to you, Hermione."

"Me?"

"Yes. Don't ask me why though, it's what the letter says. We might want to start getting ready though." Harry said, putting down the letter and strolling down to the staircase carelessly. "Since they'll be arriving tomorrow along with Mr. Weasley." It was ridiculous how unbothered he was by all of it.

"Tomorrow?" George asked, a little shocked. "When exactly did you plan on telling us that tiny bit of information?" He laughed.

"Why with me?" Arthur whimpered, looking worried.

"They will be joining you at the ministry. You will leave work with them."

"Right..." He was so not ready for this.

"If that git thinks I'm going to let him speak to you alone-"

"Ron look. I have saved your arse 200 times before, I think I can handle Draco Malfoy, that is, if he even tries anything."

The room began to laugh (especially George) and move along from the table, leaving Ron standing alone and absolutely furious.

Draco had never been so restless in his entire life. He couldn't stop moving and whenever he tried he would just end up fidgeting in his chair like some idiot. He needed to see Hermione; more precisely, he needed to talk to her. He couldn't write, it was too risky and the last thing he wanted was for the Weasley boy to find out. He was absolutely thrilled when he found out they were invited to the Weasley's for dinner. A year ago, just the sight of one of the red heads would have made him want to kill.

When his mother was writing back, he insisted on letting them know of his wishes before his arrival to avoid any problems it might cause. Besides, this way if they actually did have a problem, they could simply write back.

However, he couldn't help but feel anxious about the whole idea. It would be awkward, to say the least. All he really wanted to do was apologize, thank them and then take Hermione into a spot and bombard her with the questions who didn't seem to want to leave his tired mind alone.

"Draco! We're leaving soon, what are you going to wear?" He heard his mother call from downstairs. He didn't answer her. Why would he? It was such a silly question after all. He grabbed his black suit jacket and pulled it over his crisp white shirt, tucked into his also black pants.

What else could he possibly wear?

He still had time before they had to leave for the ministry, so he began formulating his thoughts. He realised that the 'culprit' could be anyone. Then again, it would be surprising that anyone but Granger could have pulled off such a complex charm. Whoever it was, he wanted nothing more than for he or she to remove it. He only hoped that Granger had some pity left in her. The more he thought about it, the more positive he was that it was her work that made him suffer so. Only she would be brilliant and yet creative enough to come up with such a hex. He just couldn't wait for her to get rid of it. Charm, hex, potion, dark magic: it didn't matter. He just wanted it. Out. Of. Him.

Truth was, what he really would rather do was go to a very talented wizard and ask he or she to remove to the spell, what made his hesitate was the fear of that wizard finding out the properties of the spell while getting rid of it and that would be way too humiliating for him to handle.

The one thing that puzzled him the most was how and when did Granger manage to hex him. Wouldn't such a charm be take time and energy to master? Those were two things Granger and his friends didn't have to spare. Draco doubted such a smart girl would waste such time for the soul purpose of causing him trouble, not to mention in the middle of their search for the horcruxes.

"Draco! Where are you!" He heard his mother yell.

Without thinking twice, he hurried down the stairs to the door, only to almost stumble over a very frilly, pastel blue gift bag. In their mostly dark green coloured house, the bag stood out like a sore thumb and consequently made Draco very curious about its contents.

"You're an open book, child." His mother told him, a small smirk dancing around her mouth. She must have read his mind again, his expression weren't that hard to understand after all. "It's for the baby." She said.

Draco's nod went only halfway before he fully took in his mother's words and froze in place. "What baby?" He asked.

"Teddy Lupin, your cousin." She said and picked up the bag. "Come now, your father is waiting for us at the ministry."

He had always hated how his mother always knew his secrets without having to ask him. Was he that obvious? He didn't think so, or else she would have found out about the charm he was under, wouldn't she?

Without another word she stepped into the chimney and motioned for him to join. Mumbling under his breath about the cousin he never knew he had, Draco joined her and in a smoke of green, they disappeared.

The Burrow was in complete and utter chaos, most of the mayhem being concentrated in the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley cooked all morning and where everyone circulated. The meal had to be perfect, none of them understood why, but Mrs. Weasley was putting her all into it. Ginny and George had been setting up the backyard all day so that they could eat outside where the weather and scenery were nice. Getting rid of the garden gnomes had been hard, but the task was done.

Hermione was supposed to be helping out as well, but Ginny had insisted she and Harry stay upstairs and plan out their confrontation with Draco Malfoy, saying she would cover for them. When trying to figure out Malfoy's behaviour, the two came up with a series of absurd scenarios, just in case all hell broke loose; the previous seemed to happen to them a lot.

"I wonder what he wants to talk to me about." Hermione told her good friend as she fiddled with her hair.

"I'm sure he has a mad crush on you and is simply going to ask you to run away with him to Mexico." Harry shrugged and received a delicate punch in the arm.

"Doubt it." Hermione said in a cold tone, although Harry could easily detect the smile she held back.

In the end, no matter how crazy the day had been and no matter how much Ron sulked in his corner, evening rolled around in no time. Everything was ready (even Ron) and all that was left to do was wait Everyone had gone from excited and busy, to nervous and restless. The family was to arrive with Mr. Weasley around 7 o'clock, however no one was brave enough to check the clock and countdown the minutes. That's probably why they all gasped when Ginny jumped up from her seat across the window and yelled.

"They're here!"

At the same time, everyone got up and stepped out to greet them. In a horizontal line, they stood at the door, as if they were blocking the way in. From the short distance, three blonde heads and one red began to walk towards the house. The only woman of the four hurried her pace and made her way quickly towards Molly, who greeted her with open arms...literally.

"Hello Molly!" She said and welcomed her embrace.

"Hello dear, how have you been?"

When the rest of the party arrived, everybody remained quiet and staring away from each other. Finally, George was the one to break the awkward silence and make a ridiculous move.

"Well, why don't you come in mate!" He said and swung an arm around Malfoy, ushering him inside.

The three friends along with Ginny stared in disbelief. During that time, Arthur directed a curt nod towards Lucius and they both followed George, Molly and, Narcissa inside. Harry, Ron, Hermione and, Ginny stood outside alone.

"I don't like this." Ron said.

"Let's just go eat." Hermione said. "There's no use standing here and listening to you complain."

They all walked to the backyard and sat down at the table. Molly and Narcissa had already began bringing in the food, as their husbands talked about Ministry things that not many people understood. George had already begun a lively conversation with Draco, making him feel very uncomfortable. Harry thought it would wise to save the poor blonde boy, before George got a little too close to him.

He sat in front of him and spared him a small smile to loosen things up. Ginny on the other hand, had a better idea and she, just like her brother, began to strike conversation with Draco. Harry couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for his rival. He must have be having mixed feelings about what was happening and was that a flash of fear he saw in his deep grey eyes?

To be perfectly honest, Harry had received so many apologies and thanks since the end of the war, he couldn't help but feel uninterested with what Malfoy would have to say to him. What he was really looking forward to was the blonde's secret conversation with Hermione. There were just so many possibilities, he wondered how unnatural a discussion between those two would be.

During the entire course of dinner, everyone had a pretty good time and tension was relieved as much as it could be, not for Ron of course, but for everyone else. Draco had some fascinating information to share, like the new potions master at Hogwarts and all the donations given for the renovations.

"They might add a new wing." He explained. "They want to name it after one of you."

"What will it be used for?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not too sure, but I believe they want to open up an art class. They'll need new teachers for it, but I hear Luna Lovegood volunteered." He said, lowering his voice when speaking Luna's name. Harry supposed that no matter how much time they spent together, the past will always follow, meaning Draco would always have trouble speaking their names. Plus, it wasn't like he could call her Miss Lovegood, that would be way too weird.

"Oh! Harry, I almost forgot!"

Everyone at the table turned their head toward Narcissa Malfoy, who was handing a light blue bag to Harry over the table.

"Um, thank you?" He said, taking the frilly bag and settling it on his lap.

"It's for Teddy." She explained. "You're his godfather, aren't you?"

"Oh! Yes, of course. You're related, I forgot." Harry handed the bag to Hermione. "I am the godfather, but I must admit Hermione is a much better caretaker."

The table laughed a little as Hermione opened the present. It contained a couple of things, mostly clothes, which were quite cute looking and decorated with adorable animal patterns.

"Oh, they're so nice." Hermione said, holding a one piece pyjama in front of her with the words "Baby Gap" written across the front.

"It's a muggle brand. The wizard stores didn't have anything appropriate." She explained, with a smile.

With another thank you, Hermione put the clothes back into the bag and set it next to her. "Teddy is being kept at Bill's and Fleur's for a few days."

"Oh, that's too bad."

It was obvious she was wanting to see the child, but it wasn't like they could just poof the kid back...but apparently, Mrs. Weasley had a better idea.

"Stay the night, he'll be back tomorrow."

A series of sudden outbursts came about, one louder than the other, some encouraging the idea and some politely declining it.

"It's no problem Lucius, if she wants to see Teddy, it can be arranged." Arthur said, surprisingly.

"No, we really shouldn't." Lucius tried to say, but his wife's giant grin stopped him.

"It's all right Mr. Malfoy, Draco here can sleep in Ron's room." George said and winked his brother's way, irking him all the more.

Before Ron could say something nasty back, Molly stepped in informing everyone that they had several free rooms since Charlie, Bill and Percy moved out.

"The sofa is pretty comfortable too." Harry added, he was encouraging but for selfish reasons. He didn't mind having the Malfoy's stay, but he wasn't going to let them leave without Draco and Hermione having their talk. What could he say? He was a curious boy.

Eventually, the parents moved to the living room and the young adults were left outside in the backyard to watch the sun set. They were silent and Harry decided it was his turn to break it.

"Your mom sent a letter." He said to Draco, who's head snapped up when the letter was mentioned. His lips parted and his cheeks flushed; he looked like he was lost for words. His eyes were wide and stared straight through Harry's blue ones.

"She said you wanted to speak to us about something?" Hermione inquired, snapping Draco form his daze.

"Y-yes, to be honest I just wanted to apologize to you all...and thank you of course...for everything." He sounded sincere, and even probably was. If you had told Harry that Draco Malfoy would tell him this 4 years ago, he would have laughed in your face.

"It's all right." Harry reassured him because he kind of looked panicked since no one was saying anything. Draco looked straight up at Harry and froze again.

"I-I had more to say but...but, I can't seem to remember..." He stuttered through the sentence. Poor guy seemed really nervous to Harry and judging by the faces around the table, they had noticed too. Except for Hermione, who seemed to be trying to read him.

"It's okay, we can forgive you with just that." Ginny said sweetly.

Draco gave her a slight smile, something Harry hadn't seen on his face for a while. The only time he could remember Malfoy smiling in the past was when he teased or made fun of him.

"All right, no more of this depressing stuff!" George intervened. "You excited to see your cousin mate? He's awful quiet, for a baby I mean."

"I didn't know he existed until this morning." He explained with a half hearted chuckle. "Kind of sad."

"Nobody ever told you?" Ron spoke for the first time. Even Draco seemed a little surprised.

"Y-yeah, I knew about Professor Lupin and Nymphadora, but I never knew they had a child together." After he spoke those words, he seemed to consider them himself. "Is...is he special...?" He asked, because the idea had obviously just occurred to him.

Apparently only Hermione and Harry had understood what he meant because the three Weasley just gazed at him quizzically.

"So far, his hair and eyes can change colour, I haven't seen him do anything else." Hermione explained to him. The topic of Teddy always had excited her, she once told Harry that it was like having a little brother.

Draco nodded. "Right." He gulped a little loudly and turned to Harry once more. "Is it true? You're his godfather?"

"Yes, but like I said, I'm not really much of a parent."

He nodded again and silence came over everyone once more.

Harry had just about enough. For 7 years of his life he had fought, had been patient and saved lives. It was time he did something because his curiosity was at its limit.

"Say, maybe we should go inside." He suggested and on time too because it was starting to get dark.

Ginny shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "Yeah, it's getting cold."

On their way inside, Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and kept her behind with him. But before he could say anything, Hermione must read his mind.

"You're an open book Harry." She sighed. "Yes, I'll find a way to get him alone with me."

Harry muttered an embarrassed thank you and sorry and joined the rest of the group inside. Once in, they all looked around for a place to sit, preferable without the parents who still talked about the Ministry or cooking; neither of the subjects appeased to them so they stepped into the quiet family room instead, usually reserved for reading and meetings.

On the way, Harry pretended to want to tell George something and ran to the front of the group, this time leaving Hermione behind alone with Malfoy. The light brow haired girl sighed and tapped Malfoy on the shoulder. The boy spun his head around, as if always alert and stared at Hermione, puzzled.

"Um, I'm going to take this up to Teddy's room, mind helping me put everything in its place?" It was a lame excuse and it was even lamer to have asked Malfoy of all people. "You should probably see his room, since he's your cousin and all." She added, trying to make her request a more convincing one. Luckily, Malfoy seemed to catch on and agreed.

In the family room, Harry was quite content to see that Hermione and Malfoy were not present. He knew she could do it! She had gotten out of tighter spots before. Still, he was still impatient and resisted the urge to go and eavesdrop on them.

"I know this was all your doing." Ron whispered to him. "You're lucky you're my friend, or else I would have kicked you for leaving them alone like that."

Ginny and George were currently in a heated argument, giving Harry the chance to answer without any one else hearing.

"Look, I just want to know what he wants, okay? There was no other choice, I don't think he would have just asked her himself...I just helped out." Harry said defensively and laughed when Ron stuck his tongue out at him.

Tonight, he would sneak into Hermione's room and squeeze the information out of her. It better be good, life after the war was good, but it was beginning to bore him.

Teddy's room looked like any other typical baby room. The walls were off white, the windows were large and let in a lot of light, and each corner of the room was occupied by either a change table, a cradle, a rocking chair or a book case. Right next to the change table were the drawers and that's where Hermione was crouched down, charming the clothes to fold themselves into the compartments.

"So what is it you want?" She asked him.

Although she only saw a glimpse, Draco was completely flushed and speechless. Hermione actually began considering the possibility of a crush but pushed the idea away as fast as it entered her mind. He would have too much pride to be able to confess, this was something a little more serious, she thought.

"I was wondering if you could remove a charm for me...something that possibly is...your work?" he squeaked out the last two words and took a step back, as if he was expecting Hermione to react badly.

"A charm?" She arched a brow and him and stood up.

"A hex, a potion...I don't know how you did it, but I was hoping you'd know how to get rid of it as well." He said, sounding a lot more scared than angry.

"But I didn't." Hermione said and regretted it at once when she saw his face fall and go from somewhat afraid to absolutely demoralized and somewhat panicked.

"Oh...Um...I see..." He looked like was about to hyperventilate, so Hermione didn't hesitate to jump in.

"Malfoy, are you okay?" She asked him.

"I...no, I'm not. I need your help." He almost begged her. He grabbed her shoulders and stared intensely into her brown eyes. "You need to get the charm off or else I might go crazy."

Hermione took a step back from him, leaving his arms hanging in the airs for a second and then dropping back to his sides.

"Okay, calm down. Take a deep breath, and calm down or else we won't be able to get anywhere."

Draco did as she said and took a few breaths before explaining his theories to Hermione rapidly. He told her everything about when it started and why he didn't tell anyone. He left out the part about being afraid of his mother finding out, but that was only to protect his ego.

"Okay, that's fine, but what's the charm?" She asked, finding it a bit odd that he would leave the most important part out.

"I don't know." He mumbled and looked away.

"Okay...what are the side effects, the symptoms? If it's bothering you so much, then it must be having SOME kind of effect." She told him, knowing that he was purposefully hiding it from her.

"It's sort of...I really don't want to say it...If you don't mind."

Hermione sighed. "I don't mind, but then I can't help you. I need to know at least one symptom."

"There is only one symptom." He said. "Well, one important one, that is."

Hermione sat him down on the floor next to her and tried to calm him down as much as she could. She asked him to tell her as much as he could and reassured him time and time again that it was not her, as convinced as he was, that cast the charm.

Thanks to a few calming spells here and there, Hermione managed to get the least important effects from him which included blushing, heat flashes, dry mouth and the inability to speak properly.

"Are you sure you're not just sick?" She asked him because that's what it sounded like. She even pressed her hand against his forehead a few times to check him temperature, but for the time being, he seemed fine.

"There's no need for that..." He mumbled, gently pushing her hand away. "The smaller symptoms arrive only when..." He stopped and seemed to reconsider what he was about to say. "Only when the biggest symptom is there."

Hermione finally lost it, and by 'it', she meant her patience. She needed answers concerning this 'big symptom' and wasn't going to wait around for him to feel comfortable enough to tell her.

"You know, I have Veritaserum is my room.." She said to him. And yes, it was meant to be a threat, although it took him time to figure that out.

"E-excuse me? No, no that will NOT be necessary." He said, going back to being scared.

"Then I suggest you spit it out before someone realises we've been up here for so long and come looking for us."

Draco Malfoy sucked it up. He wasn't ready to tell her at all, but this might be his only chance to fix everything and go back to normal. After having made her promise to never tell anybody about it several times, he began his narrative of what he believed was how the curse worked.

"It started a month after the war ended. My father was out of prison and our family name was somewhat cleaner. I began to feel...attracted..." He looked down at the floor. "I felt an attraction towards a certain person-"

He could not finish his sentence because Hermione's loud laugh had cut him off. Panicked, he began to wonder if she figured it out even before he told the story, but apparently, that was not the case.

"Malfoy, if your attracted to someone, then it probably means you like her. No charm needed. It's a crush, trust me. Do you know her name?" Draco stopped her before she turned in Pansy Parkinson, the gossip queen.

"N-no, listen! This...person can't know about this. I'm not even SUPPOSED to be liking this person!" He was about to lose his mind. He knew he would have to tell her straight up, or else she would never get it on her own. Who could blame her? Nobody in the world would ever be able to guess this!

"Forbidden love? Are your families rivals or something?"

Well she had hit the right spot, but Malfoy still doubted she was thinking what he was thinking...and couldn't stop thinking about for the pat few months.

"Something like that...but no."

"What do you mean? Does she live far away?"

"No she." He blurted out. "Not a she."

Hermione looked a little surprised, but not as much as Draco would have liked.

"He?" She asked, making sure this person was at least a human.

"Harry Potter." There, he had said. Point blank. Black and white. No way around it now.

The girl before him let her jaw drop to the floor and her eyes fly out of their sockets. For once, Hermione Granger had definitely NOT seen that coming. Her mouth was moving, but no words were coming out, only choking sounds of utter astonishment.

"What?" She managed to say a moment later.

"Someone hexed me and now I'm attracted to Harry Potter." He repeated.

She reacted as if it was the first time she had heard of it. The information hit her as hard as it did the first time. For the first time in her life, Hermione Granger was speechless.

"I need your help. I need you to get rid of this spell. I can't handle living like this!"

Hermione mumbled something under her breath that Draco didn't hear. When he asked her about it, she blushed a little and refused to meet his gaze.

"M-Maybe...it's not a hex?" She said, sounding more like she was suggesting the possibility.

This time it was his turn to be left mouth gaping open. Was she actually implying that he be naturally attracted to Potter? No. Way.

"That's impossible." He said, sounding sure of himself for the first time that evening. "Please Granger, you need to help."

"I'll see what I can do."


	2. Chapter 2

Open Books

Chapter 1

By the Unlucky-charm

"Hermione?" Harry whispered as he gently pushed the door to her room open. 

He found her sitting on her bed with over 20 books piled up on her bed along with at least 40 more around it on the floor. 

"What on earth are you doing?" He said and shut the door behind him. 

"Nothing...reading." She said rapidly. 

Harry knew that was a lie because no one was 'just reading' when flipping through papers angrily, obviously searching for something very specific. 

"Right...well, did you talk to Malfoy?" 

Hermione let out a tiny nervous yelp before nodding wildly and continuing her research with trembling fingers. 

Harry became a little worried. "Hermione, is everything okay? Did Malfoy say something...odd?" 

She froze, shook her head and kept going. 

"Hermione, I -" 

"I can't tell you!" She blurted, looking ahead, neither at Harry or the book. 

"Why not?" Harry said hesitantly after a moment of just staring at her. 

"I'm sorry, I just can't." She said and looked back down. "But my guess is," She waved the back of her palm over the books. "You'll be finding out eventually."

Draco woke up in the comfort of Percy's bed at 11 o'clock, feeling a bit thankful that they had let him sleep in. The previous night had been a mess. Well, not really, only if you counted the part where he told Hermione about his 'problem'. The reminder sent a shiver down his spine. With every fibre in his being, he suppressed the fantasies about Potter and got out of bed.  
>He had slept in his boxers and only his boxers, not wanting to bother anyone for proper nightwear. From across the hallway, despite his closed door, he heard a single voice paired with footsteps. Instantly, Draco shuffled to his feet, snapping his head around in search of his clothes. For some reason they were not there, leaving him hoping that Percy had left behind some stuff. No luck. <p>

There was a knock at his door and in his confusion he answered by reflex. 

"Come in!" 

It was only when the door made a creaking noise as it opened, did he realise what he had just said. 

"No wai -!" No luck. 

Harry Potter walked into the room holding a change of clothes in one arm and a baby in the other. Draco believed that he had just died. Before he could even explain himself, Harry strolled in and began just...talking! Talking as if his childhood rival WASN'T just standing there half naked. 

"Mrs. Weasley insisted on washing your clothes so...here's some of mine." He settled them on the bed and turned to him, completely expressionless. Draco did. Not. Budge. His face had gone 100% red and his eyes 100% wide. All he could do was blink at him. If he did not look away or think of something utterly disgusting in a second, he would be wishing his boxers were made of a thicker material. 

"You okay?" He asked. Draco's only answer was a nod and his mouth dropping. He was trying to speak but it didn't seem to be working. Turns out, in order to talk, you need words and Draco had lost all of his. 

Harry arched an eyebrow at him, but then it seemed as if he had 'understood' why Draco was dumbfound. 

"Oh! I'm sorry. You haven't met! Malfoy, this is Teddy." Harry went on with the introduction, which Malfoy thought was just absurd because the baby was probably not getting any of it. A few seconds later, the baby was curled up against his chest and began making little noises. His hair took a light pinkish color which still amazed Draco even though he knew of Teddy's and Tonks' ability. 

"He likes you...pink means comfortable...I think. You should probably ask Hermione." Potter told him, tilting his head and staring at the baby. 

"C-comfortable?" He stuttered. 

Little Teddy might have been comfortable, but Malfoy definitely wasn't. All he could hope for was that Granger had figured out how to fix him. He knew she had done research the previous night because he heard Ron go, "Hermione, what are you doing with all those books?". This curse he was under was already strong enough without Potter around, how was he supposed to survive with him in the room? When he was SHIRTLESS! 

"Here, give him back. I'll let you change." 

As he took Teddy from him, Malfoy's chest felt cold with the lack of body heat that the baby was providing. Harry's knuckles had gently brushed over his left pectoral during the exchange and Malfoy put himself through hell to suppress the shudder that threatened to go through him. He bit down on his lower lip and drew blood. The heat rose to his face and the only thing he could think of was how Harry's skin had felt on his, but he had to stop before it went to far. Then he'd have a little more to conceal than his Death Eater mark. 

It was a relief when Harry left, but it didn't last too long because Draco found himself with a bigger problem. No, not the erection he was fighting to keep down, but the fact that he was supposed to wear Potter's clothes! 

The pile was settled on the bed and Draco could do nothing more than stare at it. They're just clothes, he kept telling himself, but they were POTTER'Sclothes and that made a big enough difference for him to be terrified of even touching them. He was scared of a lot of things. Just like any other human being, he had his fears, but clothes had never been on that list. 

"Get it together." He told himself, and took a deep breath. If Weasley could wear a Horcruxe around his neck, then he could wear Potter's clothes! He thought those encouraging thoughts as he walked toward the bed and grabbed at one of the articles, pulling each one apart from the pile. It consisted of a plain pair of jeans, a light blue T-shirt and a worn out red hoodie.

He thought it wise to put on the jeans first because they were plain and wouldn't remind him of Potter specifically. God, I'm so pathetic, he thought. There he was, putting on Potter's clothes and thinking which one he should wear first. Once the jeans were on and fit surprisingly well, he went for the hard part: the shirt. It was a plain, light blue shirt. Nothing special about it other than the fact that...

He picked it up slowly, inspecting it, as if it was to explode in his hand at any moment. He brought up to his nose and hesitantly took a whiff.

It smelled like him.

Now he KNEW he couldn't wear it. The mere thought of Potter turned him on, how was he supposed to go a whole day with his smell following him around. It was just...heavenly.

"Fucking hex." He muttered under his breath, sucked it up, and slid on the shirt. He threw the hoodie on too, in hopes that during an emergency he could use it to conceal...certain things.

He stared at himself in the mirror and couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips. From the neck down, he was Harry freaking Potter. This looked nothing like his wardrobe, which consisted of much darker and neater clothing. Of course, none of them being muggle brands, despite how many times his mother had attacked and smothered him with Calvin Klein this and Ralph Lauren that. He rather stay loyal to the small wizard retail stores.

There was a knock at his door again and Draco was about to lie and claim he was changing until he heard the voice of his saviour.

"Malfoy? Can I come in?" Hermione called from the other side of the door.

"Yes! Yes you can!"

Hermione only opened the door halfway and slid in, closing it behind her quietly. Her hand lingered on the door frame and then dropped to her side. The pity on her face got Draco's hopes down, for he knew what she was about to say.

"There's no cure...You didn't find anything..." He said, all hope lost.

"N-no...not exactly." She said, looking down to the wooden floor, avoiding all eye contact.

"Granger you have to help. Tell me, what it is?" He begged her.

She took and deep breath and looked at him, but slightly flinched when their eyes met.

"Malfoy... When did you say this all started?" She asked.

"Two months and a half." He answered rapidly. He had counted every single excruciatingly painful day.

She gently shut her eyes and shook her head from side to side.

"There's no cure." He stated.

"Malfoy..." She swallowed hard. "You were never actually hexed." She said, trying to keep her calm and his as well.

"What."

"The most powerful spell of that sort lasts no more than 3 weeks... You're not cursed."

Draco's world was about to fall apart. He wasn't under any spell, so what did that mean? There was no sense or logic in what was happening and Hermione was slowly becoming his only hope in getting out of this mess. He flopped down onto the bed and buried his face in his palms. It helped him think, but even so, it was hard to do when Potter's sent was laced in every breath he took.

"Is it...that bad?" She inquired. He heard her take a step forward.

He answered with a simple nod.

"I'm willing to do more research, but you're going to have to help me." She sounded uneasy and when Draco lifted his head to face her, she looked it too.

"Anything."

"You need to tell me, in detail...what is going through your mind." She sounded professional, like when a doctor asks you to remove your clothes. It's all professional, Draco thought, hoping it would make the revelations he was about to make less awkward and embarrassing.

He stood up in front of her, but that didn't improve his confidence level. If anything, it made it worse. Draco Malfoy crumpled in front of the kindness that Hermione Granger was ready to dedicate to him. His face fell into sorrow and despair, because never would he have imagined to be pitied by someone like her. If anything, he would have expected her to laugh at his misery. He let his head hang low and he reached for her shoulders. He needed her to understand.

"Please help me." He whimpered. "I'm wearing his bloody clothes, Granger. I am wearing Harry's clothes! How am I supposed to handle that! He smells so...I can't stop thinking about him... in weird ways..."

"Example..."

Did she seriously just ask for an example? Draco panicked in his mind. How much 'in detail' are we talking here, he wondered. And where would he start? The dreams, the daydreams, the fantasies, his smell, his voice, his face? How delicious he had found his body? How gorgeous he thought his eyes were? Or should he tell her about the countless times he wanted to kiss him during dinner last night. For the last day and a half, he had been feeling this hardness in his pants, for crying out loud!

He ended up telling her all of this and the only answer he got was the small smile she kept trying to conceal. She blushed a few times when he told her about the more...personal parts, but she also added she was thankful that he was telling the truth.

"Ok, this should help me get to some new material. Let's just hope I can find something this time." She didn't sound very sure of herself, but one thing Draco believed in, was Granger's ability to read and absorb.

"Thank you so much!" He said to her and then, before he knew it, she had her arms around him. He was being hugged by Hermione Granger...now that's new.

"Hang in there." She said, smiling up at him. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you think." She flashed him one last grin and walked out.

Hermione P.O.V.

They left later that morning for a meeting his father had to attend. Everyone was silent afterward, I don't know for how long though because the second the family of three was out of sight, I rushed up to my room and went straight for my books. I didn't know what was pushing me to help him, and I probably wouldn't have if his problem hadn't involved Harry, but I couldn't help but pity him, even a little bit

It wasn't because someone hexed him or that he was suffering that I felt even the slightest bit bad, quite the contrary actually. As much as I agreed to the prolongation of my research, deep down in my subconscious, I knew that Draco Malfoy was never truly cursed at all. But that in itself puzzled me all the more. It seemed that he had developed a certain attraction to Harry, could it be that it was the frustration of that same attraction that led him to hate Harry all those years? It's a possibility, but the problem was that Malfoy didn't seem very aware of the appeal he was feeling.

"That could always be denial." I whispered to myself as I flipped through pages.

I found a few spells and charms, they didn't really fit the criteria but they each had at least one specific property that made some sense. But once again, they lasted no longer than a few days.

"Maybe if I search the amount of time instead of the charm itself..." I thought out loud, but I knew that wasn't an option. That would take forever.

For the next half hour, I was left alone with my reading, but I knew it wouldn't last long. I was in a house full of people, so there was no surprise that eventually, someone would come looking for me if I had gone invisible for too long. Well, that's what Ginny called me when I was too preoccupied with my books to come out of my room. 'Hermione has gone invisible again' she would say.

And so, as expected, after exactly 32 minutes of solitude, my door was slammed open.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked me. He had that look on his face that meant he was suspicious of something. At least to him I could lie to.

"Nothing, just reading."

"Are you doing just 50 at a time or are you going for a hundred?" He said sarcastically, planting a kiss on my head. "You know I'm not stupid Hermione."

"I know." I said, although I feared what was coming.

"What'd he tell you?" He asked casually, but I knew the whole point of him even barging in was to ask me that question.

"Nothing important." I said. "I can't really tell you."

"Yes, Harry mentioned that." He was getting angry. "But what I'd like to know is why you can't tell us exactly."

"It was a private request Malfoy made and I'd like to keep it that way. It is nothing that concerns you." I was about to add Harry to that list but there was only so much lying that I could do.

"Why'd he ask YOU and not anybody else?"

I really hoped he would put an end to this.

"Would you help him Ron?" I asked impatiently.

"Merlin, no."

"Well I am."

I felt his weight leaving the bed and from the corner of his eyes I saw leave my room.

"Just be careful." He muttered and shut the door behind him.

I knew he meant it. Ron got easily jealous, but I knew this time he was genuinely worried about my safety. He still shudders when Bellatrix Lestrange is mentioned, while I was the one who was tortured by her, not him. I guess that's why it bothered him so much. It would take some time for him to get used to Malfoy, but he won't have a choice. I won't be telling him this now, but I am positive that we will be seeing more of him soon.

Several hours later, I was called down for dinner. Had I bee researching that long? Time flies when you're doing something you love. That was one of the reasons I agreed to help Malfoy; I enjoyed it.

At the dinner table, I received a few odd glances. They all knew I had to keep it secret and were kind enough not to mention it. I was glad they'd be making it easier for me. During dinner, we talked about normal things and normal topics and everything was just...normal, as if only hours ago, the Malfoys weren't having breakfast with us. After eating, Mr. Weasley took the boys out to town for some broomstick shopping and a few Firewhiskeys, this gave me the chance to talk to Ginny alone without any suspicion.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you." I caught her before she walked into her room.

"You're gonna spill aren't you?" She teased me, but followed me back to my room.

Ginny and I had become genuinely close and I knew I couldn't keep this from her. It was huge information, I would end up telling her anyway, so might as well.

"What'd he tell you?" She sighed and threw herself onto my bed. I sat across her with my legs crossed. Back when I had sleepovers with my muggle friends, this is what they called 'girl talk'. When I told Ginny this, she had quite liked the term and now amused herself by using it. "Let us girl talk."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Yes, let's."

I began my narrative about how distressed he was and how he kept babbling about a hex I had put on him. I didn't go into the main subject and honestly, it was because I was scared to. I avoided it as much as I could, but I had started my story and had no choice but to end it.

"So he thought someone hexed him...and he needed you to remove it?" She asked. "What was the hex?"

I took a deep breath and began telling her about the symptoms. As I got more and more into the details, I watched as her expression changed from attentive to complete shock. Without even being subtle, she let her mouth hang open. She set her hand on my knee, mouthing 'wait, wait' even though no sound came out.

"Wait..." She managed to breathe out. I stopped my narrative and stared at her. "Okay, so...he's attracted to Harry... and you can't find the spell he's under?" She snorted and smiled lopsidedly. "This is hilarious."

"Yes, I thought so too." I paused. "Only, he's not under a spell."

"What?" Her eyes popped open. "What do you mean?"

I grabbed one of the books that held most of the information and opened the page I had bookmarked. I scrolled down the page with my index finger and stooped at the paragraph about all of the most powerful attraction charms in the world.

"Read." I told her.

She went through it pretty quickly, but didn't seem to get my point.

"Malfoy has been feeling those effects for the past two months and a half." I explained.

"But the strongest one lasts 3 weeks." She gasped. "He's not cursed at all!"

"That's what I think, but I'm not going to tell him that for sure until I've done all of my research."

"Hermione...does this mean...?" She settled her hand over her mouth in disbelief.

"Yes, and that there is our problem."

If I ended up not finding a cure, that would mean Malfoy was crushing on Harry or something like that, which rose several problems.

"I wonder how Malfoy will handle it." Yes, that was one.

"And if Harry should know." I added. And that was another.

"And who gets to tell him." She said, running her hand through her red hair.

"And what action they should take."

"And if their wedding should be a summer or an autumn ceremony."

"Yes, and – WHAT?" I snapped. "Ginny, what...what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well Harry broke up with me for a reason..." She said in a sing song tone, twirling a strand of hair on a finger.

"He's not... is he?" I gasped, leaning in to listen closely.

"Hermione, how should I know!"

We both giggled, which happened a lot during our girl talks. That's why I enjoyed having them with her so much. Even during the most serious and mind numbingly complicated situations, as long as Ginny and I were dealing with it, it was okay to laugh.

"Look on the bright side." She said and settled her hand on my knee again. "We get to see Ron faint!"

We both roared in laughter, not only because it was funny, but it was also true. I was looking forward to what was to come but also fearing it. Draco was feeling some sort of attraction to Harry. The results of both of them finding out were endless! There are so many reactions possible, most of them being negative.

"Hermione, what are we to do?" Ginny asked, letting out some air.

"I don't know, but I'm going to have to tell Draco and I guess we'll see what he'll do next. It's his choice after all." I said and hopped off my bed to begin putting away the pile of books that was left.

"Yeah..." Ginny trailed off and stood up to help.

"Or... we could help."

"...help?" I asked, heading for the closet.

"Well you can't expect those two stubborn idiots to figure out such a thing on their own!"

"Ginny, are you suggesting...?"

She didn't answer and instead just giggled.

Never would I have thought the day would come where Ginny would suggest we hook up Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.


	3. Chapter 3

Open Books

Chapter 3

By the Unlucky-charm

When muggles go out clubbing on weekends, they usually get piss drunk and end up going home with a complete stranger. Usually, when those events took place in that order, the next morning was terrible, filled with a hangover, shame and especially, regret.

That's how I felt in the morning: regretful. I really shouldn't have told Ginny.

"Would you like some syrup, Harry?" She asked her, sounding exaggeratedly polite.

"Um, sure." Harry answered, puzzled.

On top of it all, the little prat wouldn't stop grinning. I shot her several warning looks, but like an incompetent student, she just started giggling to herself. Everyone at the table frowned, confused. To them, Ginny was a serious, intelligent girl, so this behaviour of hers was beyond odd. Even though I had no reason to, I flushed and lowered my eyes, glad that Malfoy was gone or else this would have been beyond embarrassing.

"Ginny, why are you being so silly?" Her mother asked, which resulted in her shaking her head and puffing out another laugh.

After that, I was pretty sure Harry and Ron were sensing my involvement in Ginny's 'silliness'. Luckily, before accusations would be thrown around, a series of owls flew in.

I had received my first letter from Draco Malfoy.

"**Granger,**

**I know it has been no more than 24 hours since I left the Weasley home, but I have been taught in our years at Hogwarts to never underestimate your ability of research. I do not know if you are done with it already, but I wouldn't be surprised if you were. I would just like to ask if it would be possible to send me the results as soon as you get any. It is with great hesitation that I write this, but all of my hopes are resting on you and your books. I thank you for the work you are putting in.**

**I know it might not mean much at this point, but since I saw Potter recently, my dreams and fantasies have doubled and become more...explicit. Of course, all to my annoyance and anxiety. I'm not sure if this will help you, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to let you know. **

**P.S. I really would like to keep the clothes he gave me, at least for a little longer... They smell like him, it helps me get through.**

**The best of luck, Draco Malfoy."**

"Oh, poor boy."Hermione whispered to herself and cupped her lips with her hand to muffle it.

She laid down on her bed and reread the letter. She couldn't help the guilt that rose in her chest every time the words "it helps me get through" popped out from the sheet of paper. Even though she was up for some more research, in her subconscious, Hermione knew there was nothing wrong with Malfoy. What was stopping her from completely accepting the truth was the idea of having to tell him. She would never have the heart to tell him and she was aware ofthat. If anyone knew Hermione, it was Hermione. She knew her limits better than anybody else.

Flipping lazily through pages she had already seen a million times before, she thought of ways she could break it to him. Simply sending a letter just didn't seem right.

"Dear Mal –Draco, I hope your symptoms have gotten better. I'm afraid I have some pretty bad news..." Hermione trailed off, planning out loud what she would say to him.

"You are in love with Harry Potter!" She heard a voice announce dramatically from the doorway she made the mistake of leaving open. There stood Ginny, leaning on the doorframe with her crazy grin stretched across her lips.

"Would you keep it down!" She hissed at the redhead.

"Sorry, too excited." She walked over and plopped down right next to Hermione. "So, any cure yet?" She asked casually.

"Ugh, no."

"Oh, that's too bad." She didn't sound very sorry. In fact, she sounded quite pleased with the negative answer.

Hermione decided to ignore Ginny's odd enthusiasm about the even odder couple and continued working, although it was all in vain. Silence reigned and Hermione almost forgot that Ginny was there. The redhead had been fiddling with her hair for the past 5 minutes, barely making any noise.

"Hey Hermione..." Ginny began, like a child who was about to ask something from her mother.

"What is it?" She replied, her eyes still glued on the book.

"I was wondering if...you know, turns out Malfoy isn't actually hexed...I was wondering if I could, you know, be the one to break it to Harry?" She lowered her voice when she spoke the last few words and when Hermione looked up she saw her blush and look away.

"Ginny?"

"I mean, I would just really like to do that." She said shyly, still not meeting the other girl's gaze.

Hermione was planning to tell the two boys herself, she had even 'planned' the whole speech, but little did Ginny know that by offering, she was helping her out greatly. However, Hermione refused to give her the upper hand and hid her expression of content and not to mention, relief.

"I don't know Ginny, you're going to have to be very sensitive about it. And delicate." 

"I will be!" She blurted out. "I swear I'll be very careful not to scare him."

"I don't think that can be avoided." Hermione mumbled, raising her eyebrows and sighing. "But you're going to have to make it as easy on him as possible. You realise you're volunteering for the hardest part? Draco is already aware of half of it, telling Harry is going to be a pain in the arse."

"Hermione, I promise I will not fail." She reassured her, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Good. But my I ask why you are so eager?"

Ginny smiled that smile of hers again, showing off a series of perfectly white teeth. "I would never be able to live with myself if I missed his reaction to that."

The brunette frowned and smacked her companion gently over her head with the lightest book she had.

"Ow!" Ginny cried. Let's just say the lightest book she had wasn't really that light.

"You're a horrible person." Hermione laughed.

The task ahead of the two girls was to be a very big and important one. All they could do was grab the bull by the horns and lay down the news in front of the two boys, plain and simple. Although nothing about the news would really be 'plain' or 'simple', but they had to give it their best shot, for the sake of Malfoy's sanity and maybe even Harry's.

That night, Hermione finally put away her books. She had wracked her brain so much during the last few days, she knew she would have to sleep it off before being capable of writing a proper letter. She tried formulating a few sentences, but the words just didn't mesh. Going to bed was her best option.

"**Dear Malfoy,**

**How have you been? I hope you have been improving and that your 'symptoms' haven't been causing you too much trouble. I received your letter and am quite flattered by your praise. I must admit that I am quite good in my research and enjoy it as well. **

**Unfortunately, I write you this letter baring some bad news. My research has come to an end and I'm afraid you will not be very happy with the results. However, I would much rather discuss things privately and in person; I think it will be easier that way.**

**Meet me behind ****Weasleys**' **Wizard Wheezes at 3 pm tomorrow. I know where to go from there.**

**Best wishes, Hermione Granger."**

Hermione folded the letter and slipped it into the envelope, which she quickly sealed and handed to her owl. She had woken up early to write it, avoiding any questions and peeks from anyone else in the house. Now all that was left to do was wait, which was the hardest part. All she really wanted to do was get it over with. However, this gave her more than 24 hours to get ready and prepare. Surely, she would have her wand at the ready and even though she didn't find it all that necessary, she decided to take some tissues with her...just in case.

Later in the day, everything went by normally; everyone busy with their own activities as Hermione grew more and more impatient and nervous. On the plus side, she was able to let Ginny in on her full plan when they got to be alone in the redhead's room this time.

"You have to come with me tomorrow." She explained. "But you're not going to stay with us. All you have to do is come with me to Hogsmeade so it doesn't raise any question."

"I see." She answered, processing the plan. "But the shop is closed tomorrow, it only opens on weekends when there are students around."

"Exactly. Imagine what would happen if I were caught meeting Draco Malfoy! Complete chaos! Not to mention, Ron would murder the both of us."

Ginny giggled. "Can I be the one to tell Ron too?" She asked deviously.

"No, I think we should leave that to Harry."

"Or Malfoy."

There was a pause in the conversation where the two girl just stood, blinking at each other, before cramping their stomachs with the laughter they tried to suppress.

"He would –like, faint –in his arms!" Ginny squealed between loud chuckles.

"Ha!" Hermione cried and wiped away a tear along with the image of Ron laying unconscious in the arms of Draco Malfoy. A funny thought, but nothing she would want to be left dwelling in her mind, thank you very much.

That night, Ginny crept into her room and kissed her cheek when she was laying down on her bed. She had taken out her books again and was skimming through them one last time, memorizing any material she had missed, in order to be prepared for what was to come the following day.

"Sleep well, you have a long day tomorrow." Ginny whispered and slid out into the hallway. She had just been out of the shower since her damp hair had stuck to Hermione's neck when she had bent over.

With a sigh, she put the book down on the night table beside her bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. She only wished she could have Ginny by her side tomorrow, that would have given her so much more confidence and courage. Blowing out one last sigh, she shut her eyes and went to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up late. It was around noon when she was roused from the slumber by George Weasley tripping in the hallway behind her door and yelling out a profanity, followed my a pecking noise coming from her window. Snapping her to the right, she found her beloved owl perched outside her window, a letter in its mouth. Even from a few meters away, Hermione was able to recognize the capital letters 'D' and 'M'.

"**I'll meet you there." **

That was all the letter said.

"Well, we're off!" Ginny announced giddily, standing in front of the fireplace.

"Yes..." Hermione sighed. "Does anyone need anything from Hogsmeade?"

"Could you just check on the shop?" George asked from the kitchen, where he was making himself a sandwich.

"Sure." They both said and at the same time. "Hogsmeade." They added and disappeared in a mist of green flames and powder.

The two young witches appeared in a corner of the street, a few yards away from the shop. The street itself had a very little amount of people walking around, seeing as it was a weekday and that the children were not present. They were mostly bar goers and grocery shoppers roaming around aimlessly, browsing for a cheap Firewhiskey or a good deal on sprouts for the soup they were to make for dinner.

"Do you see him?" Ginny asked excitedly, extending her neck in order to see as well as she could.

"We're meeting behind the shop, how do you expect me to see him yet. Besides, this is where we part." Hermione told Ginny who pouted and frowned.

"Not fair." She said, crossing her arms over her chest childishly. "I wanna see his reaction."

"Ginny! He can't see you! Do you understand?" Hermione snapped at her in her motherly tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm meeting Dean now anyway." She huffed and turned away. "Good luck!" She called.

Hermione mumbled a thank you, pulled up the collar of her jacket and quickly walked toward the back of the shop, trying to be as unsuspicious as possible. Nobody head recognized her so far and she would like to keep it that way.

The shop wasn't big per say and only looked it that way on the inside because of the magic that widened that space. The small boutique was separated from it's neighbouring store by a narrow alleyway that led to what you could call a 'backyard'. Basically, it was where George would grow his plants for certain love and sneezing potions, not to mention some cures just in case something went horribly wrong. It wasn't a necessarily large space he had, but the garden itself was very pretty, varying from pinks to purples and darker indigos, not to mention the millions of shades of green. On the back wall stood Draco Malfoy, leaning on the bricks and fidgeting as he stared questioningly at the pots of Gillyweed.

"H-hello?"

His head snapped up and met her with a petrified look. Hermione had to resist the reflex of turning around to see if there was anything dangerous behind her. Draco Malfoy had not slept and neither had he had any rest whatsoever. The dark circles under his eyes and the paleness of his face told Hermione all she needed to know.

"Hi." He paused. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble..."

"Oh, no. It wasn't, really. I'm sorry I –"

"It's all right. It's not like it's your fault." His icy eyes that had been lingering over the plants suddenly shifted to Hermione's face. "I just need to know what it is."

Hermione tried hard not to tear up because she felt as if the boy's life was in her hands. Well, it's not like he was to die, but nothing would ever be the same.

"Draco." She used his name, trying to make him feel as comfortable as possible before the final blow. "There was never really anything wrong with you..."

She saw him gulp and swallow hard. Had he been anticipating this? By the look in his face, it seemed that he had an idea of what was coming up.

"What are you implying?" He asked. His tone would have been menacing if this were a few years ago, only now it was more desperate than anything.

"Your feelings are...natural." She continued, avoiding the blunt answer that would be the right one to describe his situation. They're just words, she kept telling herself, but all she could do was reform the sentence and spew out vague answers.

"Natural?" His voice shook.

"You have no control over it." She went again.

"What do you mean?"

He needed to hear it, Hermione thought. Sending him signals and avoiding the subject itself was a waste of time because the blonde boy standing in front of him wasn't going to give up until he heard it loud and clear from her. It would be the weirdest thing she would ever have to say and suddenly she wished for more time. She pursed her lips together into a straight line and looked away. She heard him say her name and take a step forward, but ignored it. He said it again.

"What is it?" She asked softly.

"You're not answering. I don't understand."

"Draco –" Her voice broke and tears began to trail down her cheeks. "I don't –I don't want to tell you." She sobbed quietly.

"What? Wait, don't cry. What's the matter? Why can't you tell me?" He asked urgently, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to her. She pushed it away, pulling out her own tissues.

"I –I don't want to tell you." She whispered, sponging at the wetness, her eyes lightly shut.

"Why not?"

"Because..." She crumpled the tissue in her fist and stared straight at him like the strong girl she was. "Because I don't know how to help you after this."

"After what?"

"You love him." She stated. "You're in love with him. That's the only logical explanation."

For exactly 14 seconds (Hermione counted), he froze in place and blinked at her. His expression was unreadable other than the obvious shock. His body was tense and it took some time for it to relax a little, along with his facial muscles, which oddly enough, twisted into a grin.

What's going on, Hermione thought, now on her guard just in case.

"No." Draco chuckled. "That's ridiculous, I think I'd know if I were in love with a person."

"Shit." Hermione whispered so that Draco wouldn't hear. Millions of words and explanations flew around in her head but only one stood out the most.

Denial.

"I mean, this is Potter we're talking about. He's a bloke."

"Yes...maybe it was just too crazy to believe." Hermione said, putting a hand onto his shoulder.

"N –no. How is that possible? Hermione I can't..." He stopped dead in the middle on his sentence and just stared at her.

She didn't answer him and he didn't say anything either, leaving silence to reign over them for the longest of moments. Malfoy had stopped staring at her a while ago and was now watching the ground with an empty gaze. Hermione saw the thoughts rushing around in his head through his eyes, which made her wonder how he was exactly handling it.

"So I'm actually...ATTRACTED to Harry Potter?"

"Yes, my hunch is that it's just a simple crush." She tried to console him, although it WAS one of the craziest things she had ever said in her entire life.

"No..." He mumbled, almost to himself. He spun around and turned his back on her. He began to play around and pick at a few flowers and leaves, keeping his hands busy.

"Malfoy?"

"N-no, it's like...it's more than that." He whispered eerily. It got her a little worried how he was starting to sound like those crazy people from St-Mugo's who spoke to themselves all the time.

"Um...hey." Hermione tried to get his attention and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Huh?" he started and spun around to face her. "Oh. Sorry... it's not just a crush." He informed her.

"Yes, obviously it's somewhat sexual but –"

When the 's' word left her mouth, his eyes instantly widened.

"Don't SAY that Granger!" He cried, shielding his ears with his hands like a child.

She rolled her eyes at his foolishness and decided to take things into her own hands. She grabbed him tightly by the shoulders and pushed downwards. He obeyed, submitted to the force and sat down on the ground.

"Malfoy. There's one thing you have to understand. This is YOUR problem. I am just here to help. If you want this to go anywhere, you need to tell me what. To. Do." She nagged, jabbing a finger into his chest several times for emphasis. The boy just stared back at her with complete astonishment. The news was huge, that she could understand, but the bloke needed to get himself together. She couldn't have him falling apart like that, like some crazed teenage girl.

"I don't know Granger! Apparently, I have involuntarily fallen madly in love with a bloke! I can't really THINK at the moment, you know?" He argued, grabbing at his hair and making frantic hand gestures. Plus, Hermione's face softening didn't help with the confusion. She tried to hide her smile, but failed and instead giggled on top of everything. It all sounded so much cuter when he said it.

"Granger, for the love of God, please stop smiling like that. You're making me nervous." He whined. "Look, I don't know what the bloody hell is going on, but I need you to..." He thought for a moment, his expression twisting into a contemplating frown. "It's probably crazy and impossible, but –"

"Hook you up?" She cut in.

"WHAT! Granger, you can't expect the man to just hop into bed with me! I just need some alone time with him! Some contact...that's all."

"Sure...but why exactly?" She knew the answer, just wanted to hear it from him.

Malfoy went red and seemed to suddenly be interesting about something on the ground...or his feet. He cracked his knuckles and then tried to crack them again, his fingers clenching around each other.

"It makes me happy...seeing him. I felt better is all. I just need my...'dosage' I guess. It helps me get through."

The last words were the same ones from the letter he had sent a few days ago: 'it helps me get through'. If that's what he wanted, that's what Hermione would make happen; anything that would help him 'get through' and get it all over with.

"So, like a date?"

"Yes." He answered, followed by a sarcastic chuckle. "A date with Harry fucking Potter."

Hermione was not sure if Ginny was excited or absolutely unhappy about the idea.

"A date?" She asked, looking at her as if she was insane. "How the bloody hell are we supposed to get those two to go on a DATE?"

"I don't know Ginny." She answered, exasperated. After the whole Malfoy ordeal she dealt with that afternoon, Hermione was dead tired and did not feel like explaining herself to Ginny.

"So all he needs is to get close to him? Why don't we just invite him over here again?"

"That'll look suspicious." She answered and pulled the pillow over her face.

"What if we invite him over and then trip him into Harry's lap."

"How is that any better?"

"Yeah I guess... Why don't we just trick Harry?" She suggested.

Of course, leave it to Ginny to find the most unorthodox way of dealing with things. Sure, let's go ahead and trick Harry into dating Malfoy. How the fuck was that supposed to work? Drug him with a potion? Use charms? No way; Malfoy would definitely notice.

"Oh I have an idea!" She said a moment later, but Hermione didn't answer, hoping the redhead would think she was asleep and leave her alone. "But I need you to write Draco a letter. I don't want him to be in on it, but I still want him to have an idea to what you're up to."

With an exaggerated sigh, Hermione pushed off the pillow and sat up on her bed. "Ginny, what is this plan?" She demanded impatiently.

"It's nothing! Not even that sneaky!" She waved her concerns away with her hand, pulling out some parchment from a drawer. "We'll just be opening up a few opportunities for him!"

"And how, pray tell, will we do that?"

"Easy stuff, dearest. The only problem will be getting Ron out of the way."

And so, Ginny filled Hermione in on her newest scheme. The redheaded girl never seemed to run out of them, since she had the sneakiest of minds, which nobody gave her credit for, except for Hermione of course. The plan wasn't an amazing one nor was it complicated, but what was good was that there wasn't much that could go wrong. So, that night, Hermione was dragged out of bed by Ginny and forced to write a new letter to Draco Malfoy.

"**Dear Malfoy,**

**I have spent the hours since our last meeting thinking of a way to satisfy your needs concerning Harry. Luckily, I have devised a plan that will get you to be alone with him for undetermined amount of time. Hopefully it will be enough to calm you down for a while. But, I must warn you, I will not be fully explaining my plan to you in this letter; instead, I will give you a simple warning of what to expect. In two days, I am going to need you to be at the Leaky Cauldron, 10 minutes before they close the shop. Once you see us, jut play along. Trust me. **

**Best of wishes, Hermione.**

**P.S. Ginny will be there as well, so do not be alarmed by her presence.**

A/N: I hate this chapter. I really, really hate it. I just need it to get the story running cause I really had no other ideas. But I can feel that the next one is gonna be really epic, so you can look forward to that.

Please review anyway! :)


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